Device for peeling strip metal from coils thereof



Dec. 20, 1960 A. F. GROLL 2,965,328

DEVICE FOR FEELING STRIP METAL FROM COILS THEREOF Filed Aug. 25, 1956 a Sheets-Sheet 1 F 1 z z INVEN TOR. AL l //V F 6/?0L L I A7'7OR/VEYS A. F. GROLL Dec. 20, 1960 DEVICE FOR PEELING STRIP METAL FROM COILS THEREOF Filed Aug. 23, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. ABQ l///V F GRCLL ATTORNEYS Dec. 20, 1960 A. F. GROLL 2,965,328

DEVICE FOR FEELING STRIP METAL FROM cons THEREOF Filed Aug. 25, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Fi g. .37

INVEN TOR.

A L l //V F GPOLL ATTORNEYS United States 7 Patent DEVICE FOR PEELING STRIP METAL FROM COILS THEREOF Alvin F. Groll, Box 347, Napoleon, Ohio Filed Aug. 23, 1956, Ser. No. 605,737

4 Claims. (Cl. 242-78.8)

Strip metal, usually steel, from which shapes are to be cut by power presses is supplied in tightly wound coils, the outside diameters of which may be four and one-half feet, more or less. While the metal of a coil usually is annealed it nevertheless is quite stiff and is set in tire curvature of the coil. Hence, it is necessary to pass the strip through straightening mechanism which usually comprises a series of rollers that progressively reduce the curvature.

The coil to be unwound usually is supported in a socalled cradle which carries the coil either on rotatable members that project axially into the center of the coil or rollers which lie beneath the coil and are engaged by the periphery of the coil. The rotatable members or the rollers in some installations are permitted to turn free- 1y as the coil is unwound by pulling the strip metal therefrom. But in other installations at least one of the rotatable members or one of the rollers may be motor driven to turn the coil.

Because the metal of the strip is set in the curvature of the coil the end of the strip must be forceably pulled or pried away from the periphery of the coil and threaded into the straightening mechanism. The point on the periphery of the coil from which the strip takes off to pass through the straightening mechanism often is rather inaccessible and when the end strip is pulled away by hand or pried away by a hand tool its stiffness and resilient tendency to curl and snap back against the coil make it difficult to manage.

It is an object of this invention to provide means for separating the end of a strip of metal from a coil to be unwound and for directing the end of such strip toward straightening or other processing mechanism.

It is a further object of this invention to provide strip end separating and directing means capable of properly acting upon coils of various diameters.

It is a further object of this invention to provide strip end separating and directing means capable of functioning with strips of various widths.

Other objects and various advantages of the invention will be apparent upon perusal of the following specification and examination of the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. I is a side elevational view of a cradle containing a coil of strip metal and incorporating a peeling device of this invention, the peeling device being shown in position to separate and direct the end of a strip of metal to be unwound from the coil, the near side of the frame of the cradle being removed to render essential mechanism visible;

Fig. II is a similar view showing the mechanism for separating and directing the end of the coil in the position assumed by the mechanism after the end of the coil has been so separated and directed;

Fig. III is a view similar to Fig. I but showing a coil which has been depleted and the diameter of which has been reduced and showing the end position assumed by the end separating and directing mechanism when functioning with such coil of smaller diameter. Strip straightening mechanism also is shown in Fig. III; and

Fig. IV is a view on an enlarged scale taken substantially on the line IVIV of Fig. I looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

These drawings and the following description illustrate and describe a preferred embodiment of the invention but they are not intended to impose limitations upon its scope.

Since the cradle may be of any desired type and may support coils by means of cones engaging the central coil opening or a conveyor belt or chain or a pair of rollers engaging the lower side of the periphery of the coil, the cradle is shown in the accompanying drawings somewhat schematically, and will not be described herein in detail.

The form of cradle shown in the drawings has a boxlike frame 1 within which are mounted a pair of rollers 2 and 3 at least one of which is to be driven by motor not shown. Supported upon the rollers 2 and 3 is a coil 4 of strip steel which when being unwound is turned counterclockwise (as seen in Figs. I, II and III). The frame 1 has upright walls 5 and 6 which are spaced from the coil 4 a greater or lesser distance, depending upon the width of the coil.

.Pivoted at pivot 7 to the upright walls 5 and 6 to swing therebetween, is a swing or bail 7 consisting of a pair of arms 8 and 9 connected by a cross bar 10 to the lower edge of which is welded a blade 11 and to the upper edge of which is welded a strip 12 that carries bearing brackets 13 and 14in which are journaled axles 15 and 16 of a guide roller 17. The separation of blade 11 from pivot 7 necessarily is equal to or greater than the minimum spacing of that pivot from the outer circumference of the maximum coil diameter to be accommodated in the machine in order that the bail 7 embraces and the knife blade may engage the outer surface of that coil to perform its function of separating the coil end from the next adjacent coil layer. Inasmuch as gravity is utilized to bring the blade into contact with the exterior of a coil sustained in the machine, the blade can be separated from the pivot by a distance no greater than the separation of the pivot from the intersection of the outer circumference of the smallest coil adapted to be supported in the machine and a line from the pivot to the blade edge at the time the effective center of gravity of the bail 7, blade 11, guide roller 17 and asociated parts is suspended below the pivot 7'. This relationship is the limit to which gravity is effective in forcing the blade against the coil since such force is developed only when the center of gravity is displaced from a position below pivot 7'. Fixed to the opposite side of the reinforcing strip 12 is a yoke 18 to which is pivoted a plunger rod 19 that extends into a cylinder 20 which in turn is pivoted to a yoke 21 fixed beneath a top plate 22 of the frame 1.

Additional guide rollers 23, 24, 25 and 26 are mounted between the upright walls 5 and 6 of the frame 1, the additional guide rollers 23 and 24 being in series with guide ribs 27 and 28, 29 and 30 and the additional guide rollers 25 and 26 being in series with guide ribs 29 and 30 to constitute a path for the passage of strip material being unwound from the coil 4.

A straightener 31 containing a gang of straightening rollers 32 surmounts the frame 1 of the cradle. Since the straightener per se may be of any desired type it is shown somewhat schematically and will not be described herein in detail.

When air is admitted to the lower end of the air cylinder 20 the bail 7 is swung upwardly to the position in which it is shown in Fig. 11 with the reinforcing strip 12 in engagement with the end of the guide rib 28 and the blade 11 out of engagement with the periphery of the coil 1. The mechanism normally is held in this position a 3 aftertheend of'the strip has been separated from the periphery of the coil and directed into the straightener 31.

When it is desired to separate the end of the strip from the periphery of the coil 4 and direct it into the straightener or other processing device thoair 'is'jreleased from the lower end of the air cylinder 20 and'the knife is permitted to drop-against the-periphery of the coil which rotates counterclockwise until the edged the blade 11 peels away the end of the strip.

The bail 7 is pivoted to the frame 1 on an axis that is parallel to but spaced from the turning axisof the coil 4. Therefore the bail 7 is capable of swinging the edge of the blade 11 against the periphery of a coil' of smaller or larger diameter (compare Figs. I and III).

It is to be understood that the device-described inthe foregoing specification and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings is exemplary only and that it is subject to modification and change within the spirit and scope of the subjoined claims.

I claim:

1. In a device for separating the end of a co'iledmetal strip from the periphery of the coil thereof, in combination, a frame, means for supporting for turning movement upon said frame metal strip 'coils having a substantial range of initial outer diameters, means for rotating said coil while in' said frame, a pair of levers, a'fixed pivot for eachlever adjacent one endthereof, said pivots being substantially vertically in line-with said supporting means and lying on a common axisparallel'to the axis defined for coils by said supporting means, a knife supported between said pivoted levers parallel to the axis of a coil when it is supported by said supporting means and-ata fixed position along said levers spaced from said pivot axis a distance less than the radial spacing of the intersection of the circumference of the minimum diameter coil adapted to be supported for separation of its end by said supporting means and a line between the knife blade and the pivot when the effective center of gravity of the elements supported by the pivot is vertical with and below the pivot whereby said knife engages the outer periphery of all coils with the composite center of gravity of the knife and levers displaced horizon: tally from said pivot axis.

2. A device according to claim 1 includingmeans for lifting said knife and levers around said lever pivot axis to remove the end of the metal strip from engagement with the periphery of the coil after separation of the end of such strip therefrom.

3. A device according to claim 2 including stop means for limiting thearc through which the knife and levers can swing in removing the end of themetal-strip from engagement with the periphery of the coil.

4. A device according to claim 1 including aguide on the levers for guiding the; end of the metal strip from the periphery 'of the coil toward further processing mechanism, said guide including a guide roller.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,070,444 Mikaelson et al Feb;9, 1937 2,273,884 Nyberg Feb. 24, 1942 2,683,570 Ferm July 13, 1954 

